princess ~ h. hook

V: friends

  Quin frowned.  There was a tree in the way.  She couldn't properly draw the sunset with a tree in the way, it wouldn't be the same.

She debated moving spots again but she was far too tired.  Auradon was bigger than she'd anticipated when she first set out to find a new spot. 

Rather than returning to her room, she tucked her pencil case away and started to flip back through her past drawings.  She came across the first one she'd drawn in Auradon.  The sky was decorated in coloured waves.  It was pretty but it wasn't quite like the sketches she'd drawn from the Isle.

Caught up in her reminiscing, Quin turned the page back once more to the last picture she'd drawn on the Isle.  It was colourless but equally as beautiful as any of the others.  Maybe because of the memory that came with it.

She found herself going back to that evening far too often as of recent. It was her favourite pass time, reviewing old memories. Sometimes, Auradon was overwhelming. Even if she wasn't the centre of attention like Mal, people still paid plenty of attention to her. Being a VK tended to make her something of a celebrity. She hated it.

A chill settled over the land and Quin shut her sketchbook. Night would soon creep up on her and she would be left out in the dark. Instinct wouldn't let her be caught dead alone at night.

The grass flattened under her sneakers as she hurried back to the castle, sneaking stealthily through the large front door and down the hall.

Now that she was inside, she could calm down some. She caught her breath and loosened her grip on her art supplies. The halls were fairly empty aside from the odd student who was probably kept awake by a snoring roommate.

Quin made her way upstairs and to her room, fumbling momentarily with the key. Inside, Evie was sat on her bed sewing something and Mal was crouched in front of her mother's cage.

"Look who's finally back," Evie spoke up teasingly, flashing Quin a smile and turning back to her sewing.

"Where were you?" Mal pushed away from the lizard cage and took a seat on her bed.

Quin held up her sketchbook, "Drawing." She walked over to her own bed and threw the book onto her bedside table, "Well trying to. The sky just doesn't look the same here as it does on the Isle."

"I've noticed that too actually," Evie didn't look up from her fabric, "I guess there's at least one thing better about the Isle."

Mal sat quietly, staring down at her bed.

"Yeah," Quin chuckled, pulling out her heart-speckled pajamas, "I guess."

"Is there something wrong with me, guys?" Mal blurted. Quin froze, tugging her pajama shirt on and stepping out of the closet.

"What makes you say that?" She asked.

"I don't know—you all are fitting in so well here and I still feel..." She trailed off and lowered her voice, "evil."

"Oh, M," Evie set down her sewing supplies and walked over to sit next to Mal, "You're not evil."

"What if I am?"

"You're not," Quin sat down on the other side of Mal and gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze, "Not as long as your intentions are good. Your past doesn't define who you are."

Mal bit her lip and stared at her lap, "I really hope your right."

"Of course she is," Evie chuckled, "Quin's always right."

Mal cracked a smile and shook her head, "Yeah, yeah, whatever," She looked up at her friends, "Thanks, guys."

"We're always here for you, M." Evie gave Mal a short, tight hug and hurried back to her own bed. Quin patted her friend on the shoulder and returned to the closet where her t-shirt and pajama pants were lying on the floor.

"We'll take care of you." Quin said, collapsing onto her bed and sighing, "I still can't get over how soft the beds here are."